Improvement in automatic boiler-feeders



atmt i im.

THOMAS B. WEBSTER, OF SEKAUKUS, NEW JERSEY.l

Letters Patent No. 88,246, dated March 23, 1869.

IMPROVEMENT IN AUTOMATIC- BOILER-FEEDERS.

The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and making-part of the same.

full, clear, and eXact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, forming part of this specification, and which Yrepresents a sectional elevation of an automatic boiler-feed regulator, constructed A in accordance with my improvement, as applied to a steam-boiler.

My improvement embraces auautomatic device for regulating the feed or. supply of water to the boiler', and maintaining the same at a uniform or safe level in the boiler, even though the forcepump,'which keeps up the supply, continues to operate after the water has reached its desired level in the boiler.

' The invention consists in a combination with acheckvalve,.or valves to the feed-pipe of a boiler, under control Qfa float, or its equivalent, connected with the latter, v of a surplus-escape valve aru nged between the checkvalve al'id force-pump, and kept closed by a piston eX- posed to the pressure of steam in the boiler, and of greater area than said surplus-escape valve, so that not only is deficiency in the water-supply td the boiler automatically prevented, but, without stopping` the pump, excess of feed also avoided, and the surplus water returned, if desired, to the cistern, or source from which the pump draws its supply.

Referring tothe accompanying drawing- A represents the end, or side of a steamfboiler, and a, the ordinary or proper' water-level therein.

B is a cylinder', or vessel arranged at any'suitable distance from the boilerLand at suchaltitude, as that' on connecting said vessel with the boiler by pipes O D, provided with cocks b b, for opening and closing the connection, the same is made to form steam and waterspaces corresponding with those in the boiler.

, Within the chamber, or vessel B, is a hollow spherical, or other suitable oat, E, properly guided or directed, and, if necessary, provided with attachmeits, or constructedto free itself of steamer water collecting within it.

The float-rod c, which projects outwardly through the cover of the vessel B, is attached, at its upper end, to a beam, or lever, F, having its fulcrum, as at d, and carrying or having connected with its outer arm, a rod, c, that, as the float E rises, serves to close a checkvalve or balance-check Valves, fj, in or to an advance feed-pipe, G, which is closed at its end, g, so that water cannot pass to the'boiler by a secondary or connectingpipe, G', excepting through said valves, that may be adjusted in relation to the oat by a screw-coupling, h, on the rod e.

Connected with the advance pipe G, or coupling, connecting a divided construction thereof, in advance4 of the check-valves f f, is a cylinder, or vessel, H,

which-communicates with said pipe by an opening, i,

covered by a surplus-escape valve, k, opening outward,

and which, when open, permits water to escape from the feed-pipe G, out through a discharge-pipe, or aperture, l, back, if desired, to the cistern, or source from which the feed, or force-pump draws its supply, so that no water need be wasted, or lost.

This valve k is kept closed by a piston, m, arranged to operate within the cylinder H, and exposed to the pressure of steam in the boiler, by connection of saidv cylinder, through a pipe', a, either with the steam or water-spaces of, or connections from the boiler Said piston fm is of somewhat greater area than the valve k, which it controls, so that when the checkvalves ff are open, the pressure on thevalve lc, to' keep. it closed, will be in excess of the pressure acting in an opposite direction to open it.

The operation is as follows:

Supposing the water to stand in the boiler at the desired level, or rather to fall below said level, then the valves f f, being open, or opened by the action of the float E, and` valve k closed by the action of the piston m,'water. is forced into the boiler by the pump, iirst through the pipe G, and subsequently through the secondary pipe G', but on an excess of water being supplied to the boiler', thevalves f f are closed bythe float, and the water forced into the pipe G by the pump made to lift 0r open thevalve k against the action of the pressure from the boiler on the piston m, and such surplus water discharged through the pipe, or aperture, Z, back to the water-tank, or elsewhere.

In this way may the pump be constantly kept running, but the feed to the boiler made .to regulate itself, so as to maintain a proper level of water iu the boiler, the device not merely protecting the boiler against deliciency, but also against excess of supply, and in the latter case, without loss, or waste of the surplus water.

The usual risks of stopping the pump when suffi-V4 cient water has been forced into the boiler, and of starting it again when the supply has fallen short, are done away with, by keeping the pump continuously running, which, furthermore, adds to its etciency.

It may here-be observed, that in the working of the device, when the valves f f are not sufficiently opened by the iioat to pass the water through them as fast as it is forced in by the pump, then the valve k opens to carry off the surplus.

What is here claimed, and desired to be secured by Letters Patent, is-

The surplus escape valve` k, closed by pressure-of steam on-the piston m, in combination with the checkvalve f and float E, and arranged between said checkvalve and the feed-pump, substantially as specified.

THOS. B. WEBSTER.

Vitnesses:

FRED. HAYNEs, HENRY PALMER. 

